After the 9/11 attacks and the deaths of five people exposed to anthrax spores sent through the mail in 2001, the federal government began pouring billions of dollars into biodefense research and development. However, throwing money at a problem does not guarantee a solution; there must be proper follow-through and oversight to make sure the money is spent wisely.
Abstinence of Logic
Abstinence education is not just for teenagers anymore.
In a strange shift in guidelines for grant awards, the government’s official message of no sex prior to marriage will be directed at single individuals up to 29 years old. Hypothetically, this means a recently divorced man or woman weeks shy of their 30th birthday is now a target for taxpayer-funded, abstinence-only education. This will be official policy starting in fiscal year 2007.
Working Group Wastes Our Time
The Citizens’ Health Care Working Group was created by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 to foster a “national discussion” on healthcare to be presented as a report and reviewed by the President and Congress in order to change healthcare policy in America.
Flying High: HHS Secretary Proves Pork Can Fly
Mike Leavitt’s got a ticket to ride, and he don’t care. The Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary used a luxury private jet, leased by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention for use only in emergencies, to rack up $720,000, or 60 percent, of the $2.1 million the jet has cost taxpayers since January.
The Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment
The federal government’s continuing prosecution of medical marijuana patients undermines federalism and fiscal restraint. For the fourth year in a row, the House will vote on an amendment sponsored by Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.). The amendment would prohibit the federal government from arresting users of medical marijuana in states where it has been deemed legal. The amendment does not prevent the Justice Department from prosecuting individuals using marijuana for a recreational purpose or individuals using marijuana for medicinal purposes in states where it is still considered illegal.
The Wal-Mart Bill
In January, the Maryland legislature overrode Governor Bob Ehrlich’s veto of the Fair Share Act. The legislation requires all businesses in the state of Maryland with 10,000 or more employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on employee health benefits or pay the difference in a tax. Although there are several large employers in the state, the bill only affects Wal-Mart. In reality, this law has nothing to do with providing health insurance. It represents the continuing effort of labor unions and their allies to demonize and punish successful, non-unionized companies. A similar bill was passed in Suffolk County, New York that affects large, non-unionized grocery stores.